Mark Glicini
Championship Shape
Mark Glicini : Oct 31, 2024 7:00:00 PM
According public health data, roughly 80% of Americans are “out of shape,” meaning they lack the vitality to meet recommended guidelines for aerobic...
Winners welcome adversity. Winners overcome fatigue. Winners conquer the present moment.
We much rather be prepared for an opportunity we do not yet have than have an opportunity we are not prepared for. It’s never about how great an opportunity might be; it’s always about how great we become when given an opportunity.
The term “opportunity” refers to favorable conditions. Optimistic competitors who decide they can influence outcomes believe they always have favorable conditions.
They are fascinated, not frustrated.
They are present, not perfect.
They are free.
This past weekend, I invested time in Toronto with an IndyCar driver and his team as he competed in one of the 17 major races of the year. After it finished, I spoke with his driving coach, who is one of the top 300 drivers in the world. He shared with me that there are three key elements to every bend in the track:
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Braking on time (not too early nor too late)
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Turning with an accurate amount of tension
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Accelerating with conviction
Hundreds of times, while embracing scorching heat well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, a IndyCar driver must make decisions under pressure.
One of the reasons I love the high-stakes, high-risk, and high-pressure environments found in finance, military, and sports is the critical nature of decision-making.
Urgency reveals preparation. If a performer does not possess the appropriate mentality (state of mind) in competition due to fractures in his or her holistic health, it will show up as suboptimal results. If a performer remains too aroused and activated… or too calm and relaxed… he or she will miss the target. When a performer trains his or her mind, body, and craft with consistency and intentionality, he or she influences winning.
We are never in control of winning.
We influence the chances of winning by trusting the process, believing in ourselves, and focusing on the next decision.
Relating bends on an IndyCar track to the twists and turns of life, how many of us hesitate to make choices or tend to react impulsively? Do we ever get so angry, frustrated, or sad that our minds become clouded and our bodies become tense? What must we do to move from fight, flight, or freeze to freedom?
~ Our minds become clear,
and our bodies become calm,
when our hearts are relaxed. ~
Similar to putting a destination into a GPS… setting an aim for a day, a year, or a decade takes a minimal amount of time; however, it’s the most vital aspect of an adventure.
What do you want?
What do you really want?
What do you really really want?
Write those down.
Once a mind is set, then it comes down to mindset.
Aiming is not enough. Setting goals is not enough. We must continually adapt, consistently adjust, and constantly navigate barriers, difficulties, and obstacles.
During Roger Federer’s iconic commencement speech at Dartmouth University in 2024, he shared ideas and stories worth remembering:
Everybody can play well the first two hours [of a tennis match]. You’re fit. You’re fast. You’re clear. After two hours, your legs get wobbly, your mind starts wandering, and your discipline starts to fade… Effortless is a myth. I didn’t get to where I got on talent alone. I got there by trying to outwork my opponents. I believed in myself. But belief in yourself has to be earned… In tennis, perfection is impossible. In the 1,526 singles matches I played in my career, I won almost 80% of those matches. Now, I have a question for you: What percentage of points do you think I won in those matches? Only 54%… Here’s why I’m telling you this: When you’re playing a point, it has to be the most important thing in the world and it is. But when it’s behind you, it’s behind you. This mindset is really crucial because it frees you to fully commit to the next point and the next point after that.
Whether it’s the next point or the next play or the next turn, we must fully commit ourselves inside that precious present moment. Peak performance, the complete display of an individual’s authentic personality, is expressed in the present moment. Within it, we must trust, believe, and focus on making decisions with conviction.
Insecurity: to care too much.
Security: without care.
We ought to train with insecurity so we can compete in high-pressure opportunities with security.
What would you do to influence winning in your own life?
Who could you invest more time with, learning and training, to increase your belief?
How might you enhance your mindset so that you may perform your best when it means the most?
Reflect on these questions, and write down your answers.
Our state of mind influences the treasures we find.
Every obstacle is also an opportunity.
Winners pay a price in training so, in competition, they are free.
— MG
Mark Glicini
Founder & CEO of Mark Glicini Peak Performance
Mark was born and raised in New Jersey where he became an elite high school student-athlete. He earned varsity letters as captain of his high school football, basketball and lacrosse teams and was elected into the National & Spanish National Honor Societies. He attended a post-graduate academic program at Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, MA before college where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Yale University in New Haven, CT. He is currently a graduate student working toward his doctorate degree in Sport & Performance Psychology at San Diego University for Integrative Studies under Dr. Cristina Versari, Founder & CEO of SDUIS and former Head of Sport Psychology for the National Basketball Association. He is a Teaching Associate with Dr. Robert Gilbert, a Professor at Montclair State University (NJ) and a leading authority and author in the field of Applied Sport Psychology. Mark is currently the lead Mental Health & Wellness Player Advocate for the Premier Lacrosse League.
Performing Under Pressure Through Presence
Mark Glicini : Apr 10, 2025 7:05:00 PM
Last month, on Grateful and Full of Greatness, I asked a two-time Tewaaraton Award winner how she thrived amidst extreme expectations. “I focused on...
Prioritize Your Priorities
Mark Glicini : Oct 17, 2024 7:15:00 PM
What do you value most? Are you living in alignment with your core values? Do you prioritize your priorities?